My Favourite Parenting Book List

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By EK Wills

It all started with ‘What they definitely wont teach you at pregnancy school’, an article in the Sydney Morning Herald by Bronwyn Prior  and was reinforced by a diary that my MIL gave me after my first baby was born. It was called A Mother’s Companion: A Comforting Guide to the Early Years of Motherhood by author Tracy Marsh of Tracy Marsh Publications since 1983 (ISBN 9781885171597) and is an illustrated book that ‘addresses the changes that mothers experience once their baby is born’.

My first reference books were:
1. Baby & Child From Birth to Age Five By British psychologist Penelope Leach , first published 1977, now revised as Your Baby & Child  described as the ‘much-loved, trusted, and comprehensive classic—an international best seller for twenty-five years’ and
2. What Mothers Do Especially when it looks like nothing (ISBN 9781585425914) ‘Instead of preaching what mothers ought to do, psychotherapist Naomi Stadlen explains what mothers already do in the course of any exhausting day’s work’.

Significantly, one of the Mums in my mother’s group recommended The Contented Little Baby Book, based on Gina Ford's personal experience of caring for over 300 babies as a maternity nurse in The UK, first published in 1999. Love her or hate her, she advocates a daily routine for both the baby and the parents. It is now revised as The New Contented Little Baby Book.

For a lighter read, Mother Wisdom collaboration by Susie Cameron (who has a background in communications, public relations, publicity, marketing and events) and photographer Katrina Cook- (ISBN 9781405037938) ‘For Mothers, By Mothers’ it has quotes and imagery, more of a coffee table style book.

More Titles to check out:
1.     Yeah Baby!: The Modern Mama's Guide to Mastering Pregnancy, Having a Healthy Baby, and Bouncing Back Better Than Ever by fitness expert and nutritionist Jillian Michaels (ISBN 9781515914167)
2.     The Girlfriends' Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine (ISBN 9780886464509) touted as ‘practical, comforting, honest, and hilarious bestseller for moms-to-be, with more than one and a half million copies in print’
3.     Six Under Eight diary by actor, writer and comedian Madeleine West (ISBN 9780670078929)
4.     Kidwrangling: Looking After Babies, Toddlers & Preschoolers by cartoonist and author Kaz Cooke as a ‘sequel to Up The Duff’ and there is a revised edition with updates on sleeping positions and prenatal tests (ISBN 978-0670073986)
5.     Rants in the Dark: From One Tired Mama to Another by blogger Emily Writes (ISBN 9780143770183) ‘gives words of encouragement to sleep-deprived parents ‘
6.     Like A Queen: The Ultimate Queen's Bible by Australian blogger Constance Hall (ISBN 9780646959498) self described as ‘raw & real’
7.     Mama Mia: A Memoir of Mistakes, Magazines and Motherhood autobiography by editor of Cosmopolitan Mia Freedman (ISBN 9780732292386)
8.     I Don't Know How She Does It ‘tragicomic’ debut novel by Allison Pearson (ISBN 9780307948564) about heroine, hedge-fund manager Kate Reddy, described as ‘the national anthem for working mothers.’

What’s your favourite parenting book or author? Are there any you would add to this list? Or take off?

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